Jim Blasingame's Blog, page 15

Entrepreneurial Telekenesis

Have you ever seen someone who moved objects with their mind, or bent a spoon by merely concentrating on it? Telekinesis, as defined by Webster, is the power to move an object by psychic force alone. Mind over matter.

The idea of telekinesis has fascinated humans for millennia, including this human. Like me, you probably have a healthy level of skepticism about such claims. But what would you say if I said you are capable of telekinesis?

If you have ever done any physical training, you know t...

RESULTS: What is the greatest challenge to your business success?

The Question:

Which of these is the greatest challenge to your business’ success over the next 3-5 years?

23% - National and/or local economy 43% - National/state/local politics/policies, like taxes, regs, dysfunction 21% - Organizational deficiencies, like capital, talent, size, technology 5% - Big competitors and globalization 8%- Internet competition
Jim’s Comments:

As you can see, when it comes to future challenges, only one-fifth of small business owners think their o...

Mentoring employees can lead to small business success

Since those whom we manage look to us for guidance, we should think of ourselves as teachers. We teach others what we have learned so that knowledge can be leveraged through their performance.

And don’t be afraid to show your passion for your ideas. Allowing employees to see passion and conviction in our words, actions and style is a good thing, and it’s also contagious.

The market is a rude place, indifferent to our very existence let alone whether we succeed or fail. Perfection has never b...

Why small businesses should attack with their strengths

During the American Revolutionary War, John Paul Jones was one of the most colorful and effective Americans to ever stick his finger in the eye of King George.

Penetrating enemy waters off the northeast coast of England aboard the ramshackleLe Bonhomme Richard, Jones and his crew made the acquaintance of the British warshipSerapis, which was escorting a convoy of merchant ships.

In the ensuing battle, out-shipped and out-gunned, theRichard was so badly damaged that J.P.J.’s chivalrous opponen...

RESULTS: How does the federal government influence your small business?

The Question:

In general, how do youregard the influence of the federal government onyour business?

0% - The government helps more than it hurts. 84% - The government hurts more than it helps. 13% - There’s a balance between positive and negative. 3% - I’m not aware of good or bad government influence.
Jim’s Comments:

It’s long been an article of faith among Main Street business owners that the less government in their lives the better. So last week I wanted to see if that...

The two sides of desire for entrepreneurs: Which one do you possess?

Desire is the common denominator of entrepreneurs, and it is a powerful force.What is not common among entrepreneurs is what is desired: Do you desire to accomplish something entrepreneurial, or to live an entrepreneurial life?

If the former, you may focus on the finish line so much that you miss the joy of the race. Does a champion cherish the ceremony more than the moments of excellence that deliver the prize? Is the prize the trophy at the finish line or the rich experiences during the rac...

Mobile computing will dominate your future — are you ready for it?

Remember all the years I’ve said every small business MUST have a website? It’s still true, except now that’s not enough. Today you also have to be ready for themobile customer.

Once only wizards and fairies had magic wands. But inThe Age of the Customer, hundreds of millions of Earthlings now have one in the palm of their hands.Here are the U.S. numbers:

According to Statista, this year over 180 million Americans will own a smartphone, and that number will grow by 10% to almost 200 million i...

Strengthen your spirit and watch how high you soar

Do you know what a jet fighter is? If you said airplane, you’re only half right. In the strict nomenclature, a jet fighter is actually a weapons platform.Its job is to deliver ordinance to a target, not to fly the pilot around.

In that sense, the human body - his vessel of protoplasm we drive around - is not really what a human is. It’s actually a delivery platform for the will of our spirit; the true life force that is who we really are.

One of the things I have observed about humans is that...

A consumption tax is bad for America and worse for America’s small businesses

If not already, you’ll soon hear about two consumption tax alternatives to accomplish tax reform: a value-added tax (VAT), and the “Fair Tax,” which is a national sales tax. AVAT is added to products incrementally in the steps of the production/distribution process and passed to consumers in the ultimate price. The oxymoronic Fair Tax is collected from the end user at the point of sale, like state and local sales taxes. Both are bad ideas. As major tax reform has been lately debated, in add...

Listen first, speak second

Perhaps the two most important things salespeople can understand is:

1. The information in their own head is not as important as the yet-to-be-mined information in their prospect’s head

2. Knowing how to talk little enough and listen long enough, to be able to mine that gold

The lesson is similar for small business owners who’ve gone to a lot of trouble and expense to hire smart employees. We already know what we know; we need to know what’s in the heads of the members of our brain trust. We...